


paris in pieces

by danielavelasquez



Category: Holby City
Genre: A Lot of Dom/Zosia friendship, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Violence, Gen, M/M, eventual Dom/Lofty, other characters may be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-16 14:46:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11830929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danielavelasquez/pseuds/danielavelasquez
Summary: He was disappearing. He was getting thinner and his voice was quiet and unsure. His coat was way too big for the warming weather and he seemed to wince with every step. Was he really that blind, that oblivious? Could he really not see how obvious it was that he was not okay? OR Dom is trapped, Zosia is worried, and Lofty has shown up in Dom's life at the most inconvenient time possible.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, it has been years since I've really written anything so I apologize for any errors. Also, I'm American so if I don't write the dialogue in a realistic way I'm sorry, please let me know if it's too much of an issue. 
> 
> Everything that happened in canon up to the point of 'It's Only Love If It Hurts' is still canon until the scene where Isaac sees Zosia rubbing the cream on Dom's bruises and the scene where Dom cancels his plans with Zosia in the locker room. Dom has not admitted that Isaac hits him so Zosia knows but she doesn't Know know, if that makes any sense.
> 
> This is going to be pretty dark in the beginning but I promise it will get lighter eventually. The actual romance between Dom and Lofty will not start for a while and it'll mostly be focused on Dom and Zosia's friendship and unfortunately, Dom and Isaac's relationship for at least the first half.

Dom had always loved the start of Spring, the snow thawing, the air losing its bite, and the way people suddenly seemed more alive. But this year, this year was different. The coats and scarves that helped him blend in a crowd, that helped cover the truth from his friends prying eyes and their worried glances had become like a suit of armor, and he wasn't ready to let that go.  

 

He shows up at work that day, minus the scarf but still wearing the coat he didn’t really need- it hadn’t warmed enough yet to be suspicious, but he was starting to sweat. He found Zosia standing outside the entrance, eyes wandering, and his heart sped up. He hadn’t returned a text or call in weeks and avoided her at work, showing up late or rushing out early so they didn’t have a chance encounter. She had clearly had enough and he didn’t blame her, not really, even if he knew it would be easier if he could. Easier to push her away, try to convince himself that she didn’t care about him and have his best interests at heart, easier to push her away if he could convince himself to hate her. And he hated himself for the thought.

 

No use in putting it off any longer, he thinks as he approaches her. He attempts a smile but it comes off as a grimace at best. “Brought you a coffee.” She says, expression unreadable, before walking over to one of the benches.

 

“I don’t have time.” Dom lies through his teeth as he follows her, hoping to get out of this without being interrogated, but she shoots him a glance that says she can, as always, see through his bullshit.

 

“Oh, yes you do,” She says. “Your shift doesn’t start for another half hour and I’m on break. Sit.” Of course she had checked his schedule, he thought. If he was being honest with himself, he was surprised it had taken her this long.

 

He reluctantly sits down next to her, glancing in what he hopes is a casual way behind him to make sure Isaac, who was supposed to be at home sleeping,  wasn’t lurking behind them. If Zosia sees anything, she doesn’t comment and he takes a big gulp of coffee just to put off talking for a few more seconds. “I had started to think you were dead until you posted that Instagram last night.” She stares straight ahead, not looking him in the eye, her voice unreadable. “I guess you can post pictures with Isaac but not answer one of my, oh, at least three dozen texts.”

 

“Zosh…” He starts, the guilt he had been trying to avoiding suddenly crushing him.

 

“Nice hickey, by the way.” She finally turns to look at him, her eyes dark, a mixture of pity, fear, and maybe a little disgust- not that he blames her.

 

“I thought it was hot.” It’s meant to be a joke, but he barely manages a smile and his face burns and the lies sits uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. Once upon a time, it had been the truth. He did think it was hot, until suddenly the hickeys were actually bite marks and they hurt, and then it wasn’t, but Zosia didn’t need to know that.

 

She rolls her eyes but drops the subject and reaches over to grab his hand. He flinches at the sudden contact but tries to cover it up by lacing their fingers together. “I’m sorry,” he looks straight into her eyes for the first time that morning. “For not texting- or calling, it’s just that-”

 

“He doesn’t want you to.” She says accusingly, her voice going shrill the way it always does when she’s trying not to cry.

 

“No, it’s just… I- I’ve been busy.” He stammers. _Shouldn’t I be better at coming up with excuses by now?_ He almost laughs at the thought, at the absurdity of his situation, but he doesn’t think Zosia would appreciate it.

 

“Busy? That’s the best you can do?” She looks exasperated, the tears she had been trying to hold back starting to fall. “Give me one good reason, Dom. One real, legitimate reason you haven’t talked to me in weeks, and I’ll leave it alone.”

 

He opens his mouth, searching his mind for anything to say. Nothing. He looks away, running his fingers over the hand still gripping his own.

 

“That’s what I thought.” Zosia stands up abruptly, letting go of his hand and standing in front of him, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. “Talk to me, Dom, please.”

 

He wanted to, as much as he had ever wanted anything in life. He wanted to tell her every detail, every moment of pain he had experienced over the past month, but he couldn’t. “I’m going to be late for work.” Is his only response as he gets up and walks around her towards the hospital doors.

 

“Dom!” She yells, and he flinches and drops his coffee on the sidewalk in front of him, cursing under his breath as he bends down to pick it up- not because of the coffee, but because Zosia is _making a scene_ , and that could mean Isaac might find out.

 

“What?” He hates the way his voice sounds, louder than he intended, and angry.

 

“I love you.” She steps closer, her eyes and her voice softer. If he hadn’t already felt like his heart was broken, this would have snapped it right in half.

 

“I love you too.” He says, and he doesn’t think he’s ever meant it more than he did then. She hugs him and he lets her, ignoring her fingers brushing over a few of his bruises. He feels safe for a second, but only for a second, because then he starts thinking about telling her the truth again, and remembers why he can’t.

 

He remembers Isaac’s breath on the back of his neck last week, his wrists held behind his back and his front smashed against the wall. He remembers the way it felt like one of his hands was going to be snapped clean off when Isaac pushed him even farther. Zosia had texted three times in a row and he had forgotten to put his phone on silent and suddenly he was there and Isaac’s voice was clear and menacing. “I’ll kill her,” He’d said and Dom couldn’t feel anything but cold, the physical pain he was in was suddenly nothing. “If you tell her, I’ll kill her.”

 

He lets her go and tries to convince himself that this isn’t that last time. He walks away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't seen any of Casualty so I'm sorry if I get anything Lofty related wrong because I only know what they've revealed on Holby. Also Zosia's part this chapter is written a bit differently than Dom's, it just... happened that way? If it bothers anyone or comes off as really awkward please let me know.

Zosia watched Dom walk away from her, throwing his empty coffee cup away and slinking into the building. He was disappearing. He was getting thinner and his voice was quiet and unsure. His coat was way too big for the warming weather and he seemed to wince with every step. Was he really that blind, that oblivious? Could he really not see how obvious it was that he was not okay?

 

She sat back down on the bench to collect herself and tried to get her thoughts in order. She had to go back to work in a few minutes, but all she could think about was Dom. She had hoped spending a little time with him would help calm her nerves after the past few weeks, but it had done the opposite. 

 

The night she had waited for him to meet her at the hospital entrance only to be stood up for the second night in a row flashed through her mind. If only she had just waited for him in the locker room instead of standing around for a half hour only to be met with an apology text and a still broken promise to make it up to her. If she had just seen him, just spent another five minutes with him, maybe she should could have convinced him to admit the truth instead of sticking with the ridiculous slip in the shower as an excuse. 

 

Since then, she’d had the occasional one or two word text from him every few days, but even that had stopped over the past week and a half. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him to snap out of it. She wanted to grab him and not let go until he told her the truth. She wanted to take Isaac up to the roof and kick him off herself, but she couldn’t let her mind go there when she had patients to take care of. 

 

The conversation they’d just had- or that she had tried to have- replayed itself in her head and she realized there was something even more uneasy and afraid about him than there had been a few weeks earlier. The way he gripped onto her hand and the way his face changed when she had said she loved him… the fear in his eyes seemed more overwhelming than she’d ever seen, desperate and raw. She wished she knew exactly what happened, what was happening to her once sarcastic, fun, pain in the ass of a best friend.

 

Every time he walked away from her, she wondered if it would be the last time, but she let him go.

* * *

 

Dom tries not to think about the hurt expression on Zosia’s face when he turned to walk away. He wishes he could let her know what he knew, that walking away and keeping her as distant as possible was the only way to keep her safe, even if it meant he wasn’t. 

 

Was Isaac even capable of doing what he threatened to do? If someone had asked Dom that a month and a half ago, he would have said no. But now? Now his increasing number of bruises made him think that Isaac is entirely capable, and he’ll be silent about his own pain forever as long as it keeps her safe. 

 

He wishes he hadn’t dropped that coffee because he had a spent another night barely sleeping, partially because of the pain, but mostly because of the nightmares. Ever since that night last week, one of the nightmares would hit him when he was least expecting it. Zosia was always hurt, sometimes she was dead. In all of them she had been beaten bloody. After the first dream, he hadn’t even wanted to fall asleep again out of fear of seeing that again, but eventually, he had to sleep, and then it would start all over again. 

 

He feels like he’s sleepwalking through the hallway when he runs straight into an unfamiliar curly haired stranger- or rather, the enthusiastic stranger runs into him. Dom barely glances at him as he bends down to pick up whatever he’d dropped in the collision and tries to walk around him. It’s rude, he knows, but he tries to keep the conversations to a minimum even when Isaac isn’t around and he’s not entirely sure why, but he tries not to think about it too much.

 

He only walks a few steps before he hears “Wait!” and the stranger is stumbling to keep up with him. “I’m Lofty.”

 

Dom instinctively looks around to make sure Isaac isn’t there before finally really looking at him. He’s out of breath and his hair is hanging in his face and he looks like he has no idea what the hell is going on. His facial expressions mixed with his clumsiness is so comical that Dom can’t help but be a little amused. “Did you need something, Lofty?” He tries to keep his tone neutral just in case this Lofty is someone Isaac will eventually meet- new friends aren’t a good idea when he feels like he can’t even protect his old ones. 

 

“I, uh-” He takes a second to catch his breath. “Is this the way to Keller?” He asks, and Dom takes just a little pity on him since he was just running in the complete opposite direction.

 

“No, but I’m going there now so…” He lets the sentence die out and starts walking, Lofty trailing behind. 

 

Dom hopes the conversation is over but no such luck. “So you work on Keller? Are you a doctor or-”

 

“Doctor, yeah.” He doesn’t elaborate and prays Lofty will just get the message.

 

“I’m a nurse!” He says enthusiastically. “New. Well, new here.” Dom has to bite back the sarcastic comment that’s on his tongue and thankfully they’ve reached the entrance so he can break off towards the locker room and leave Lofty to figure the rest out on his own.

 

“Nice to meet you then!” Lofty calls after him, but Dom just keeps walking. He doesn’t need a new friend.

 

* * *

 

 

Dom has never been more thankful to be on the opposite shift from Isaac, even if it’s only for a few days. It wasn’t his choice,  not that Isaac believed him- and he proved that with his fists- but it had been a blessing. Especially since Lofty had insisted on trailing behind him like a lost puppy the entire day. It was annoying at first, but had become slightly endearing as the day went on. He even laughed once, only to immediately realize that that couldn’t become a regular thing or he’d have to pay.

 

He heads home with the same feeling of dread he felt every time he knew he would be seeing Isaac soon, even if it was only for half an hour or less before he had to go to work. He pauses for a second outside their door, trying to block out the thoughts of Isaac knowing he’d spent time with Zosia that morning. There was no possible way he would know that unless he had followed Dom to work, or if someone from the hospital had told him- but did anyone at the hospital even tolerate him enough to used as an ally anymore? He turns his phone off just in case and then takes a deep breath and opens the door.

 

Isaac is sitting on the couch, just staring at the door, waiting. He looks calm but that doesn’t mean anything, not really. He used to try to predict Isaac’s moods, but after a while, the shift in the air seemed to happen every time they were alone together and he was always on alert. He moves towards the couch but Isaac stands up and his heart speeds up, and he braces himself for the worst.

 

He doesn’t speak first, he rarely does anymore, as if just the sound of his voice is enough to set Isaac off. Sometimes it is. Isaac stops and stands a few feet in front of him, arms crossed on his chest.  “How was your day?” Isaac asks, and it feels like a test.

 

“It was… fine.” He backtracks, “I missed you, though. I hate not working together.” He attempts a smile as the lies slip out, almost easily now if he ignores the feelings of disgust building up in the back of his mind and the pit of his stomach. Disgust, hatred, he’s not even sure if it’s pointed towards Isaac or himself anymore. Maybe a little of both.

 

Isaac steps forward again and Dom tries to keep the panic he’s feeling off of his face, sure he’s said the wrong thing, but Isaac kisses him instead. It doesn’t feel good, it’s too rough, but Dom just kisses back and tries to seem enthusiastic. “I missed you too.” Isaac’s voice is softer, more gentle, the way it was in the beginning- and still could be sometimes, but that seemed to be getting less common by the day. 

 

A part of Dom softens as well and he manages a smile. The part of him that still, somehow, loves Isaac takes over and he lets himself be lost in the moment. Anything is better than the pain and the fear and the disgust, even if it’s only temporary.

 

“Anything exciting happen today?” Isaac is smiling but the familiar gleam of the anger always boiling right below the surface hasn’t left his eyes.

 

“No, not really.” Dom says, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. “We have a new nurse.” He regrets it instantly. He knew he had to say something, or Isaac would think he was hiding something, but Lofty probably wasn’t the safest topic. But, if he hadn’t mentioned him, and Isaac met him, he still could have been accused of hiding something. Why was there never any right answer, any right choice, any choice at all that he wouldn’t fear would get him hurt?

 

“Oh, really?” His tone was curious but it almost seemed accusing. “And what do you think of her?”

 

Dom knows for sure that he’s put his foot in it when Isaac puts all the emphasis on “her”,  but it’s too late to take it back. “He,” Dom swallows nervously and hates how obvious it is. “Wasn’t great, really. Clumsy. A bit annoying, actually.” He’s rambling and he hates it.

 

The next thing he knows, the wind is knocked out of him and he’s being slammed against the door, Isaac’s hands holding his upper arms tight. “Are you sure about that?” His face is too close to Dom’s and all he can concentrate on is the anger in his eyes. He can’t get any words out and a few long seconds pass. “I said are you sure?” He yells and pulls Dom forward before slamming him back again and this time his head hits the door too.

 

“Yes!” He finally spits out. “Yes, I’m sure!” He can hear the desperation in his voice and he hates it. Isaac lets go and Dom resists the desire to slide down and collapse on the floor. 

 

Isaac says nothing else and walks away, slamming the bedroom door behind him. Dom walks over to the couch and sits, trying to figure out what went wrong. The back of his head throbbed and he could already feel bruises forming on his arms. 

 

No more than ten minutes pass before Isaac comes back out, but it feels like hours to Dom. He used to expect an apology, but he was almost glad when they stopped. “It will never happen again,” had become the most meaningless phrase in the world.

 

“See you tomorrow then,” is all Isaac says before he walks out. Dom manages a weak goodbye and then curls up against the side of the couch. He turns his phone back on since he’s there alone and Isaac will probably be calling to ‘check in’ sometime.

 

A text notification comes in as soon as the screen is loaded. “I miss you.” It’s from Zosia. He presses ‘Delete’.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: things will get worse for Dom before they get better, but they will get better. Be prepared for a long road though.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're ready for more of Dom and Zosia being angsty! I genuinely love writing their dynamic and their friendship is probably my favorite one on the show to be honest, so I hope I'm doing them at least a little bit of justice!

Dom wakes up earlier than he needs to that morning. He sleeps a little better when Isaac isn’t there, but only a little. He knows Isaac won’t be happy if he leaves before he comes home, but he decides it’s a risk worth taking since they won’t be on opposite shifts much longer.

 

He looks in the mirror, the bruises from the night before darker and mottled on his skin. For a second, he reconsiders documenting his injuries. He had almost done it once, gone as far as taking a few photos, which he planned to send to Zosia, but he had chickened out and deleted them. Now, sending them to Zosia wasn’t an option, no matter what.

 

His phone vibrates and it’s her. She really doesn’t give up, does she?  _ Pulses _ ? The text reads and Dom shakes his head.  _ I’m buying. _ Comes in a second later. He almost ignores her, but then he realizes it was the last place Isaac would expect him to be. He’d leave immediately to come home with a shifts worth of anger ready to take out on Dom, and would probably be even angrier if he wasn’t there… Maybe this isn’t a good idea, but he was already typing.  _ 20 minutes.  _ He hits send and seals his fate.

 

* * *

 

 

Zosia didn’t really expect Dom to text back at all, but she couldn’t be the person who gave up. The previous day had made her even more determined to let him know that she was there for him no matter what, even if it seemed like he didn't want her to be. 

 

She had tried to back off for a while, but it didn’t seem to do any good. If anything, letting Dom push her away seemed to make things worse for him, and she realized how alone he must feel. Not anymore, she thought. She would make sure of that.

 

She practically jumped up when she saw his reply and her heart hammered in her chest. She didn’t know who had decided to temporarily put Dom and Isaac on opposite shifts, but she felt like she owed them her life, and maybe Dom’s too. 

 

She rushed out the door, promising herself that she wouldn’t push him, would try not to make him feel judged, and would just let him know that she cared and wouldn’t leave, no matter what.

 

* * *

 

 

When Dom walks into Pulses, he almost turns back. Zosia isn’t there yet and he still has time, time to walk out and try to find Isaac or call him or do something to fix this before it blows up in his face.

 

But then Zosia is there and she’s linking their arms together and it feels like old times for just a second, so he lets her drag him up to the counter to order. She looks a lot happier than she did the day before and it eases his guilt a little, but he can’t help but still glance around and check for Isaac. 

 

They sit down and Zosia puts her hand on on his arm until he looks her in the eyes. “I missed you.” She says, and she’s still smiling but her eyes are sad.

 

“Someone’s getting a bit needy, aren’t they?” He jokes. “You just saw me yesterday.”

 

“I know, but I miss…” She looks away for a second and Dom starts to worry she’s going to bring up Isaac. . “I miss you. I miss Arthur. I miss us.” His heart aches at the sound of Arthur’s name, and he realizes he doesn’t even remember the last time he brought him up. Every time he starts to miss him, all he can remember is the chill in Isaac’s voice when he said, _ You don’t have your dead friend to bail you out anymore, do you? _   and the pain that followed, and the unapologetic anger and satisfaction in his eyes when he threw Arthur’s medal on the ground and stomped on it. 

 

“Dom?” Zosia says after a few seconds pass. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah.” He looks down at the table. “I miss him- I miss Arthur too.”

 

“Just Arthur?” She jokes and Dom almost laughs.

 

“I miss you too.” He says, and he wishes she knew how much he meant that.

 

“Isaac’s still on the night shift tonight, right?” Dom almost chokes on his coffee at the sound of Isaac’s name and nods to cover it up.

 

“Come over tonight.” Zosia says. “Please.”

 

“I really don’t think I-” Dom starts to protest and he watches Zosia’s face crumble, letting the sentence fade because he doesn’t think he can finish it without crying.

 

“You promised.” Zosia says, determination suddenly  showing in her eyes. “Don’t you remember? Like, a month ago? You said you’d make it up to me.”

 

She’s right and he knows it, but he also knows that if Isaac knew, he’d be putting himself in danger, and more importantly, he’d be putting Zosia in danger. As much as he would love to drop everything and finally spent a night with his best friend again, there are too many risks.

 

“Maybe another time, Zosh.” He says, looking down and fiddling with a napkin. “Soon.”

 

Zosia slaps her hand down on the table a little too hard and he jumps. “Why? Why can’t you do it tonight. Seriously, tell me.” 

 

That’s when they hear the sound of a tray crashing to the floor followed by loud voices, and Dom tries to hold back a laugh when he sees that all the chaos is being caused by Lofty. He’s apologizing animatedly and trying to help clean up whatever he knocked down, but seems to be making more of a mess in the process.

 

When Dom looks back at Zosia, she’s smirking. “What?” He asks, trying trying and failing to suppress his laughter.

 

“Who is that?” She asks, and there’s a dangerous glint in her eyes, the one that says she’s up to something. 

 

“No one. I mean, well, he’s a new nurse. On Keller.” Dom stammers and Zosia raises her eyebrows. “What?” He asks, and starts to wonder what he did wrong with she does nothing but stare at him for a few seconds.

 

“Do you like him?” She asks in an almost teasing voice.

 

“What? No! I’m with Isaac.” Any trace of laughter left vanishes when he thinks of the night before and he can practically feel his head slamming against the door all over again. “Why would you even think that?”

 

“Because that’s the most I’ve seen you smile in three months, Dom.” She says, and he refuses to admit, even to himself, that she’s right, even though she is.

 

“I just met him yesterday. He’s clumsy, he’s… ridiculous.” Dom says. “It’s hard not to laugh at him, that’s all.”

 

Zosia reaches across the table and lays a hand on his. “I’m just saying, Dom. You deserve someone who makes you laugh.”

 

Dom sighs and yanks his hand out from under hers. “If I hang out with you tonight, will you stay out of my love life?” He instantly regrets it, but it’s too late to take it back now.

 

“Really?” Zosia practically squeals and leaps up from her chair and Dom can’t help but smile. His anxiety hasn’t subsided much, but the morning has made him feel a little lighter, and what Isaac doesn’t know won’t hurt anyone. 

 

“Yes, really. As long as we do it at Is- my- our place.” He was already thinking of what might happen if he went over to Zosia’s and Isaac found out he wasn’t home. At least if he found out Zosia was there, he could lie and say she just stopped by and refused to leave, if nothing else. Isaac might even believe it- probably not, but it was his best chance. 

 

Zosia seems too relieved to question or argue with his request. “I’ll bring everything!” She says and her excitement is contagious. “This is going to be great. Like old times.”

 

He smiles. “Just wait and come over at-”

 

“After Isaac leaves? I know, Dom.” She levels him with her eyes. “I know.”

 

He tries not to think too hard about that.

 

* * *

 

 

Dom is looking over a patients chart when Lofty and Essie walk over, Essie deep into a story and Lofty nodding along but looking pretty clueless. Dom had stopped listening to her gossip over the past few months, and he tries to believe it’s because he doesn’t care, and not because Isaac is so annoyed by Essie. 

 

“Have you worked with Isaac yet?” He looks up when he hears Essie mention Isaac’s name, trying and failing to look casual. 

 

“No, I mean, I don’t think so?” Essie glances over at Dom before looking back at Lofty. 

 

“Well, good luck with that.” She rolls her eyes and walks away and Dom wants to call after her and try to defend Isaac, but he knows there’s no point. She had decided months ago what she thought of him, and she wasn’t going to change her mind, not that Dom could really blame her.

 

“Who’s Isaac?” Lofty turns to Dom with the same deer in the headlights look he’d had since they met. “Is he that bad?”

 

“No, he’s- Dr. Mayfield- he’s a consultant.” Dom looks back down at his chart so he doesn’t have to look Lofty in the eyes. “And he’s not bad. He’s- my boyfriend, not that it’s any of your business.” He doesn’t mean to snap, but he wishes Essie would just mind her business, even if she means the best.

 

“I guess he can’t be that bad, then.” Lofty says and tries to offer him a smile. Dom ignores whatever is doing flips in his stomach and walks off to check on a patient, whether the patient currently needs it or not.

 

* * *

 

 

Zosia looked at her watch for at least the dozenth time in the past half hour. The day had been dragging on ever since she left Dom that morning and she just wanted to speed up time so she could spend a few hours knowing that Dom was, at least temporarily, safe- even if she was afraid he would cancel again.

 

He had been in slightly better spirits that morning than the previous day, but he had still looked nervous, letting his eyes wander around the room every few minutes, and he had barely touched his food. She had been thinking about the look in his eyes when she’d say “I know,” all day. She regretted being so forward with her implication when she saw his fearful expression, and the way he fumbled over an excuse about being late and left almost immediately. 

 

She wanted to wait inside the locker room for him and follow him home just to be sure he didn’t try to cancel again, but she knew she had to wait for Isaac to leave, a thought that made her feel a bit sick. Dom would never come right out and say it, she knew that, but he had basically admitted that Isaac didn’t want him spending time with anyone else, which she already knew, but Dom just seemed to think it was so normal.

 

She hadn’t decided yet if she would try to confront him about Isaac again that night. She wanted to, desperately, but she was afraid that he would make her leave and push her away again if she did. But then, if she didn’t say anything, she would feel like she was failing him- again. It felt like there was no winning, no right way to save her friend who obviously, desperately needed it. 

 

Even if the circumstances made her stomach turn, she was glad she wouldn’t have to actually see Isaac that night. She hadn’t spoken to him in weeks and she wasn’t sure she would be able to control herself if she did, and confronting him wouldn’t end well for Dom, she knew that. Maybe a night of Chinese takeaway, movies, and alcohol would help him realize what he was missing. 

 

Seeing Dom laugh that morning had relaxed her more than anything had in a month and she wanted to go up to the fumbling nurse and thank him personally. Even if Dom didn’t have feelings for him, having him around seemed to lift his mood, and that had to count for something. 

 

They had agreed that morning to meet at his place at 7:00, and she was about to leave for his place at 6:37 when her phone buzzed. Her heart sank and she was sure that he would be cancelling, but instead the text just read  _ 7:30 _ . 

 

She tried not to think too hard about that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep accidentally setting up parallels to Dom and Zosia's scenes and I fully blame the versions of them that have taken up space in my brain. They're just angsty like that.
> 
> Next time: Find out why Dom delayed his night with Zosia and.... Lofty meets Isaac? I'll try to have the update out as soon as possible!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so much longer for me to update this time! I've had more going on in my life the past week or so, but that should be slowing down after this weekend. Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently.

The day manages to both drag on and pass way too quickly for Dom. His anxiety worsens every time he looks at the clock and realizes it’s closer to time to go home, time to see Isaac. He wants to cancel on Zosia, and comes close to it a few times, but then he remembers the pain on her face and knows he can’t hurt her anymore, no matter what happens to him because of it.

 

Every time he checks his phone, he expects a missed call or text from Isaac and finds nothing. He tries to convince himself that Isaac just went home and crashed and that’s why he hasn’t checked in, because silence from Isaac never means anything good. 

 

When he finally gets home, his heart is pounding and he feels like he can barely breathe. The last hour of his shift had passed in a blur and if someone asked him a question about one of his patients now, he probably wouldn’t be able to answer. 

 

He opens the door slowly, not knowing what to expect, a part of him hoping that maybe Isaac wasn’t there, no matter how unlikely that is. Silence greets him when he steps inside, but Isaac is there, standing against the bar in the kitchen, work bag at his side. The air feels thick with tension and it reminds him of the way it always feels before a storm, pressure building up that he can feel but not see. 

 

He takes a breath and walks towards Isaac, trying and failing to act casual. “How was your day- well, night, I guess?” He finally asks, not being able to stand the silence anymore. 

 

Isaac’s answer is a punch in the jaw and Dom stumbles back, catching himself at the last second, only for Isaac to shove him back so hard that he feels like he’s been thrown to the ground. “So now you care how my night was?” His voice is cold and Dom lays there, bracing himself and trying to catch his breath. “You didn’t care this morning. Where were you, by the way?”

 

Dom slowly pulls himself into a sitting position, waits a few seconds, then stands. “I’m sorry,” He says, trying not to think about how he’s the one with the swelling jaw, and still the one apologizing. He can’t tell Isaac the truth and he knows it, but if he says he just went in early to work, he knows Isaac won’t believe him. “I… I was visiting Arthur’s grave.” He says. He knows Isaac won’t like it, but Arthur is already dead and Isaac can’t hurt him.

 

Isaac laughs and somehow that hurts more than Dom’s jaw. “Of course you were.” He turns to face the other direction and mutters, “Pathetic.” 

 

“I’m sorry,” Dom says again, quieter. “I should have called.” Isaac turns around and walks up to him until he can feel his breath on his face.

 

“Yes, you should have.” He narrows his eyes and Dom and holds his breath, waiting for whatever is going to come next. “I trust that you’re not going to pull another disappearing act tomorrow morning?” He says, backing up a little.

 

Dom nods and starts to relax slightly, only to have the wind knocked out of him a second later, Isaac’s fist connecting with his side. “Good.” Isaac flashes him one more glare before walking out while Dom collapses to the ground again. 

 

He tries to breathe and when he does, the pain catches up with him and he doesn’t ever want to move again, but Zosia is coming soon. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and types _7:30._ Another half hour will give him time to calm down and collect himself.

 

As he lets himself lie there a few minutes longer, he replays the events of the past ten minutes. Maybe if he had just not asked Isaac how his night was, he wouldn’t have gone off like that. Dom almost laughs at the thought, how ridiculous it seems, that this is his life now. He can’t even ask a simple question without being hit. He thinks of what Isaac said when he’d mentioned Arthur.  _ Pathetic _ . Maybe he was right.

* * *

 

Zosia tried not to worry about what Dom’s text could have meant. Maybe Isaac was just running late, or Dom had an errand to run or maybe… She always came to the same conclusion. Maybe Isaac had done something and Dom needed time to fix it or cover it up or maybe it was still happening when he sent the text. That was the worst thought of all.

 

She needed the time to pass quicker, she needed to see Dom as soon as she possibly could, to put the horrible images swirling through her mind to rest. Most of the time, she was able to push them out, but they had just come to her in her sleep instead. Dom, living in constant fear. Dom, getting hit, over and over again. Dom, bruised and bloody. She’d stopped sleeping at Ollie’s because she kept waking up crying or screaming or both. 

 

She had ordered their food and was going to pick it up on the way, bought wine and tequila, and picked out a few movies she knew Dom liked. Everything would be fine. She repeated it to herself over and over, willing herself to believe it. 

* * *

 

Dom looks in the mirror, turning his face to the side to see how noticeable his injured jaw was. The swelling had gone down a little, but his skin was red and tender and he could tell that there would be a bruise there soon. He knew Zosia would say something if he didn’t cover it up, so he reluctantly takes out the make up he hates that he even has to own. 

 

The finished product looks caked on and unnatural, but he figures he can make sure Zosia sits on the other side of him, then maybe she won’t notice. 

 

There’s a knock on the door a few minutes later and he briefly consider that it might be Isaac, convinced for a few seconds that Isaac knows exactly what his plans are until he actually opens the door and sees Zosia.

 

She’s balancing bags in her arms, out of breath and looking like she’s about to drop all of them. He can’t help but laugh and take one of them from her. She wraps her arms around him tight after depositing the bags and he ignores his aching side and leans into it, allowing himself a second of feeling safe. “I really thought you would cancel.” Zosia says, smiling a little sadly.

 

“And have you hold it over my head for another month? I don’t think so.” He jokes and she glares at him, and it feels like old times until he can see her eyes narrow and focus a little too hard on his face. He turns away and starts getting out glasses, heart thudding. He ignores his own shaking hands, bringing the wine glasses over to the table

 

“Okay, let’s have it. What horrible romantic comedy are you making me watch this time?” He asks while Zosia starts to take their food out of the bag.

 

“After you complained for two weeks last time?” Dom hangs his head in mock shame and she laughs. “I thought about it but… I think you might like this better.” She pulls out a copy of _Little Shop Of Horrors_ and something about the gesture makes him want to cry.

 

“But you hate musicals!” He says. “You have never, in the three years that we’ve known each other, watched a musical with me.”

 

“I know, but… I miss you.” _Why do you keep saying that? I’m right here!_ Is what Dom wants to say,  but he holds back. 

 

“Well then, remind me to ignore you for weeks again sometime.” He jokes, realizing he’s made a mistake when her face drops. He puts his hands up in surrender. “That was a joke!”

 

“It wasn’t funny.” She says and all he can do is look away. Zosia opens the bottle of wine in silence and pours them both a glass.

 

“How did you even know I liked this movie?” He asks her, trying to break the tension.

 

“You left me a very drunk voicemail talking about it, complete with at least three musical numbers. It was at least minutes long. I think I actually still have if it you-” Zosia has already started pulling her phone out when Dom stops her.

 

“I believe you.” He says, laughing. “I remember that. Well, sort of. That was… what? Two years ago? And you remembered?”

 

“Of course I remembered, Dom.” She says, smiling sadly. “Because I love you.”

 

There’s a weird tension in the room suddenly, her words carrying a weight he couldn’t quite understand, but he was afraid the conversation would turn serious if he didn’t stop it. “Let’s drink!” He tosses back half his glass and tries to believe everything will be okay.

 

* * *

 

 

Lofty stumbles into work, late and flustered. He hadn’t worked a night shift in a while and the adjust in sleeping pattern hadn’t caught up with him. 

 

Essie is walking out when he arrives and she grabs him gently by the arm, talking quietly. “Isaac’s in a foul mood. I’d stay out of his way if I were you.” Lofty raises his eyebrows, worry starting to form in the pit of his stomach.

 

“Uh, thanks for the warning.” He says as Essie walks away.

 

After changing into his scrubs, he walks out to look for Sacha, hoping to at least find one familiar face. No luck.

 

Instead, the first thing he hears is a voice that could only be described as menacing. “I assume you’re the new nurse?” Lofty turns and he knows without having to ask that it’s Isaac. “You’re late.” Isaac shoves a chart in his hands and walks away. So much for staying out of his way.

 

Isaac stops and turns around when Lofty doesn’t immediately follow. “Are you coming or not?” Loft wants to say that he wanted to update himself on the chart before seeing the patient, but Essie’s warning is fresh, so he just hurries to catch up.

 

A few hours pass and things don’t start to go any smoother. Everything he does or says seems to annoy Isaac and he’s making it hard to concentrate. 

 

Every time Isaac snaps at him, he tries to push the thoughts away, but he comes back to this is Dom’s boyfriend? Had he misjudged Dom that much? No, he wasn’t exactly warm, but he wasn’t mean. How did he tolerate this? He had only known Dom for a few days, but he felt a pull towards him. He would have to keep a close eye on his new friend. Something was wrong.

 

* * *

 

 

Zosia slammed down her empty tequila shot, laughing so hard she was practically crying. They had started out trying to play a drinking game, but completely lost sight of it halfway through the movie. She was a glass of wine and two tequila shots past being able to understand the movie, which was almost at the end credits by then, and Dom was trying to explain it to her, badly, while drinking wine straight from the bottle. 

 

She hadn’t planned on getting drunk that night, just enough to loosen up a little, but she was far past that.  Dom’s mood improved and he seemed more relaxed with the more they drank, so she kept going. She had almost forgotten that Dom was in danger when she noticed it. There was something on his chin, a smudge, and she assumed it was food and reached out to wipe it with her finger. Dom jumped and hissed in pain and suddenly she felt completely sober. The smudge of a bruise and the poorly applied make up was suddenly obvious and jarring.

 

“Dom… what is that?” She could hear her own voice go higher and she couldn’t push down the panic that had consumed her entire body.

 

He turned his head abruptly, and Zosia let her hand drop without even realizing she was moving. “It’s nothing.” He said, refusing to look anywhere but straight at the wall.

 

“Dom.” She said. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her entire body had turned cold. She grabbed Dom’s hand that was laying in the space between them and he yanked it away. “Talk to me. Dom, look at me. Please. Dom!” She was practically yelling.

 

“It’s late. I think you should go.” He doesn’t look at her and swallows the lump forming in his throat. 

 

“No! I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving you here!” She couldn’t stop the tears in her eyes from falling. “I’m not leaving you here _with him_.”

 

“Zosia, I’m fine. There’s nothing to-” _Fine_? Zosia had to resist the urge to throw a drink in his face. How dare he have the audacity to say he was fine.

 

“You’re fine? You have a bruise on your face and we both know where it came from.” She tried to hold back, but she had been holding back for weeks. “Nothing about this is fucking fine, Dom.”

 

“You need to leave.” He still doesn’t look at her. 

 

“I’m not leaving without you!” She’s hysterical and she knows she must look ridiculous but _why won’t he just listen?_

 

“Get out!” He yelled and she jumped. The silence that followed was the loudest one she had ever heard. He got up and walked to the door, opening it. “I’m sorry, Zosh. You need to go.” He looked down at the floor, a guilty expression on his face and she finally got up. The alcohol was still dulling her senses a little and the events of the past few minutes had disoriented her even more.

 

“I’m sorry.” He said again when she walked over. “I love you.”

 

A part of her mind was crying out for her to stay, but her feet kept moving and she felt like she had no control over her body. “I love you too.” She turned to look at Dom one more time as she walked out. He closed the door.

 

She made it outside before it all sank in and she threw up on the street. The helplessness that had been building overwhelmed her. She just wanted to spend time with her best friend and instead it turned into a nightmare, and she was no closer to getting through to him than she had been before. Nothing was okay. Nothing was going to be okay. There was nothing she could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be "lighter" but it got away from me. I almost want to rewrite a nicer ending just to make myself feel better, but this will fuel things on faster (I tend to accidentally let things get drawn out way too long so this is probably good). I feel like this chapter was, in general, a bit of a mess, so I'm sorry. And the Dom/Zosia scenes are starting to feel repetitive, but there won't really be any for a little while (sadly), so if that's bothering anyone, at least you'll have a break?
> 
> Also the movie choice was inspired by David posting about it on Instagram recently, and it's a favorite of mine so sorry if it seems OOC at all? I really couldn't decide if it was or not.
> 
> Something to look forward to: More characters being added in the next few chapters! Jac, if I can get a handle on writing her at all. Jasmine, maybe (she's alive and fine in this universe btw), and probably Ollie.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the length of this chapter. It was really more an introduction than anything and they will get longer after this. 
> 
> In case anyone didn't catch the reference, the title comes from the scene where Lofty and Dom are talking about jigsaw puzzles. I'm not sure if the show did it on purpose but it seemed to be symbolic of Dom and Isaac's relationship ending, or at least I interpreted it that way. 
> 
> If anyone has any questions or comments they'd like to discuss you can also contact me on tumblr at https://domcopeland.tumblr.com/


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